Friday 14 November 2008

Padiham, memorial park air raid shelters 11/08

Visited with sparkuk and thenewmendoza

NO BATS WERE HARMED IN THE MAKING OF THIS REPORT............

i got this lead earlier in the week and after some online investigation i found there was an access wasnt too sure about it at first but i found this photo on geograph http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/755046 and it piqued my interest somewhat.........




the size and layout of the park gave the feeling that this place was BIG, but sadly it wasnt, it was a small double U shaped shelter with the main antrance in the middle of the U, it is worth noting that the building facing the entrance was a school at some point and the shelter appers to have been used solely for the school...


After a half hour of tramping round the park in the rain we found the way in, and after getting the equipment set up, we made our descent into the shelters. our first impressions were WOW this is cool, but we soon realised how small the shelters were, and ended up slightly dissapointed, it must be said, BUT we had come all this way and we wernt going to give it up as easily as this!!

the shelters themselves were of a formidable concrete and construction, and the tunnels were VERY narrow, nothing like the wide passageways of brinksway/dodge hill or bidston hill, this set us to wondering how people would have "sheltered" in there and we came to the conclusion that the kids would have sat on a narrow wooden bench down one side of the shelters with a toilet cubicle at each end of the long corridor. it has to be said it was VERY dry down there, probably the driest shelter i have EVER been in, and i couldnt beleive the light fittings were still in there and sockets were still on the walls!!




this for me is what exploration is all about, this may not have been a big site, BUT it was an intersting site, that i REALLY enjoyed seeing!!



B..

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

ive always wondered what it was like inside that shelter. i kno where the entrance is, its surrounded by a green fence...is there just one way in? did u ask permission or just let urself in?

bungle666 said...

if i told how, then it wouldn't be fair... needles to be said, it was without permission and access isnt through the gate!

Anonymous said...

:O as if haha cos i live near padiham and after goin to whittingham mental hospital i thought ohh yea theres places a bit like this round the corner! im very intregued now...i must have a snoop around somtime soon!

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